NOAA predicts a ‘normal’ hurricane season. Here’s how many storms there could be.

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Forecasters are predicting a near-normal hurricane season this year.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a 40% chance of a near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season.

NOAA forecast up to 17 named storms this season but five to nine are predicted to become hurricanes. NOAA said there could be up to four major hurricanes from these storms.

“The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be less active than recent years, due to competing factors, some that suppress storm development and some that fuel it, driving this year’s overall forecast for a near-normal season,” NOAA said.